Germany Travel Guide

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Easy Day Trips from Frankfurt: Architecture and More in Darmstadt

May 30, 2013 at 5:16 PM | by | Comments (0)

Running out of things to do while in Frankfurt or have a super long layover at FRA? No problem. There are plenty of other places to explore thanks to the wonderful transit system of Germany. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn branch outwards from Frankfurt's Hauptbahnhof, making it very easy to get out of the big city for a day.

During our recent long, long layover in Frankfurt, we wanted to go somewhere different. So we simply hopped on a train and got off at the last stop, Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof.

Darmstadt is located about 18 miles south of Frankfurt and is mainly known for its contributions to modern chemical science. It is not the kind of town that would be on the “to-do list” for many travelers, however, we think that makes it worth visiting. If you want to see what it is like to spend a day in a normal German city practically void of foreign tourists, this is the place.

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Easy Day Trips from Frankfurt: Good Bier und Gutenberg in Mainz

Where: Mainz, Germany
May 28, 2013 at 3:52 PM | by | Comments (0)

Running out of things to do while in Frankfurt or have a super long layover at FRA? No problem. There are plenty of other places to explore thanks to the wonderful transit system of Germany. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn branch outwards from Frankfurt's Hauptbahnhof, making it very easy to get out of the big city for a day.

Stuck in a similar situation, we headed to Mainz with some friends for a quick and easy trip to see something different.

Mainz is a town located southwest of Frankfurt am Main. It is straight south of Wiesbaden, on the opposite side of the Rhine River. The city has a very long history behind it, both good and bad. Remnants of the Roman Empire are still visible, such as parts of the Aqueduct and theater. The majority of Mainz was leveled during some of the heaviest bombing of WWII, which led to large scale rebuilding predominantly in Bauhaus style.

Mainz is also known as the home of publishing, since it was here Johannes Gutenberg invented his printing press (and the city won't let you forget it).

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How Heidi Klum Keeps Cozy, Even in Economy

Where: Germany
May 28, 2013 at 11:10 AM | by | Comment (1)

There is something refreshing about seeing even the hottest celebrities squeeze into an economy seat when jet-setting off to tropical locations or even on their way to shooting a new movie. That's why we sat up and took note when German supermodel extraordinaire, Heidi Klum, tweeted a photo of herself while waiting to take-off to Berlin for a press conference.

The Project Runway star also does double duty as the host of Germany's Next Top Model, a position which necessitated her presence at the presser regarding the model search. In true social media celeb fashion, snapping a selfie in transit was in order, which she then tweeted.

Using our aviation sleuth skills, we surmised Fräulein Klum decided to fly on Lufthansa's service between the two cities.

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Four Fun and Cheap Things to Do During a Long Layover in Frankfurt

May 14, 2013 at 5:06 PM | by | Comments (2)


Typical Frankfurt skyline

Don’t complain while in Frankfurt am Main!

Do you have a few days to kill in Frankfurt or perhaps just a few hours? Whether you're stuck with an extra-long layover or find yourself with spare hours between business in town, contrary to popular opinion Frankfurt does actually have interesting things for you to do.

Here are our easiest and cheapest suggestions within spitting distance of the Hauptbahnhof:

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No Germany for You: One-Day Strike Cancels 1,700 Lufthansa Flights Today

Where: Germany
April 22, 2013 at 9:53 AM | by | Comments (0)

Today could be a rough day at the airport, so we recommend charging up those electronic doodads and maybe even grabbing a magazine. Lufthansa is having a little bit of a problem with their worker bees today, and as a result they’re canceling all kinds of flights.

In total it sounds like they are proactively canceling around 1,700 flights; however, most appear to be shorter flights in and around Europe, as well as domestic options. It’s all part of a one-day strike finalized late last week, as a group representing around 33,000 Lufthansa employees hopes to show the carrier that they need a little more cash in their paychecks.

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Justin Bieber Accused of Monkey Business at Munich Airport

Where: Munich, Germany
April 1, 2013 at 10:41 AM | by | Comments (0)


This capuchin monkey is outraged

It may seems like just another April Fools' story, but trust that the news of Justin Bieber's monkey being held in quarantine in Germany is true.

Bieber flew to Germany's Munich Airport late last week as a stop in the European leg of his "I Believe" tour and, of course, traveling by private plane has its advantage...like bringing along a pet monkey for the ride. Justin's capuchin monkey made it to Germany, but didn't make it out of the airport as it seems the singer did not have the proper documentation to bring a monkey into the country.

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Can David Hasselhoff Save the Berlin Wall from a Wrecking Ball?

Where: Berlin, Germany
March 18, 2013 at 4:32 PM | by | Comments (0)

David Hasselhoff not only feels partially responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall, but now feels like he has to save what's left of it, too.

In 1989, the Baywatch star (who is probably better known as the old drunk guy eating a burger to anyone under 25) performed "Looking for Freedom" on top of the Berlin Wall and the song became an instant hit in Germany.

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Macht Schnell! How to Drive Germany's Famous Nürburgring Race Track

February 5, 2013 at 9:38 AM | by | Comments (0)

Although there are many great driving roads in the world, perhaps the most famous is the Nürburgring. Built and completed in 1927 around the medieval castle city of Nürburg, it lies about 75 miles northwest of Frankfurt and 50 miles south of Cologne. Easy day trip distance, which is exactly our focus.

Though the Nürburgring is used mainly by car companies for testing and sanctioned races, examples of the latter being DTM (German Touring Car) and Formula 1, it is open to the public...if you can handle it. Nürburgring is widely regarded as the toughest and most demanding race track in the world due to its long length and sheer number of corners. Public access is typically on the weekends, and all road-legal vehicles can pay to drive on this historic road. Sports cars and motorcycles are the of course the most common sights, but even RVs and tour buses are allowed to have their turn.

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Girl Power: The Photo of Female Pilots That Nearly Caused an Airport Controversy

Where: Germany
January 17, 2013 at 9:38 AM | by | Comment (1)

When was the last time you flew in a plane piloted by a woman? What about two women, both pilot and co-pilot? It's possible to not even know since passengers rarely see their flight crews much anymore, but they are up there. Trust us.

Starting this week, travelers on Lufthansa will get to see the very rare occurrence of two women in the cockpit...before even stepping onboard a plane. Famous Berlin-based photographer Kiki Kausch has installed her triptych, titled "A380 Female Cockpit," at the JFK Business Class lounge.

The three images capture two normal Lufthansa pilots, Fleur and Karin, at work in their office, which just happens to be the cockpit of one of the airline's A380 superjumbos en route from Frankfurt to Singapore (LH 778). The photos were actually taken as the plane cruised high above Afghanistan, the ethereal light of sunrise over the Hindukush illuminating the women.

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New Lie-flat Seats on Air Berlin Coming Soon to an A330 Near You

Where: Germany
January 9, 2013 at 12:06 PM | by | Comments (0)

Now, when stepping on-aboard an Air Berlin flight, those sexy red leather gloves may point your to the newest business class seats the airline has to offer. Just last week, the second largest German airline introduced its brand spanking new premium look on a flight from Düsseldorf to Abu Dhabi.

The flashy lie-flat seats are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to upgrades to the long-haul A330 business-class cabin for the carrier. Each of the 19 seats in the biz cabin will offer a 15-inch personal television loaded up with about 200 hours of on-demand programming and a USB port to keep those devices charged up.

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Germany Adds Yet Another Christmas Market, Right at Munich Airport

Where: Germany
December 14, 2012 at 3:29 PM | by | Comments (0)


The nicely canopied entrance to Munich Airport Center

Sure, airports across the country and the globe get into the holiday spirit with lights, trees, and decorations, but that’s usually it. There is at least one airport over in Germany that takes it to the next level, as one of the country’s famous Christmas markets makes an appearance outside the terminals.

All the holiday stuff goes down at the Munich Airport Center, as they’ve been enjoying their own version of a Christmas market amidst the arrivals and departures. Holiday stuff includes at least 50 different vendors, 400 Christmas trees, Bavarian curling, and even an ice skating rink—with free skate rentals.

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The Little Things: Red Leather Gloves on Air Berlin Flight Attendants

Where: Berlin, Germany
December 4, 2012 at 10:43 AM | by | Comments (0)

In the midst of the bustle of travel, it's all too easy to overlook the details. We're talking about special touches others have stressed over just so you can enjoy a unique experience, whether you know it or not. Every so often we'll highlight The Little Things like this, so now you will know.

The Little Thing: Air Berlin's flight attendants in red calfskin leather gloves.

Air Berlin has traditionally been recognized as a low-cost carrier, but recent years have proven they're more full service than one would expect. For example, they offer Business Class on their A330s and free snacks and drinks on all flights, plus complimentary hot meals on long-hauls. Also, fun fact: the airline was founded by a former pilot of the famously full-service airline, Pan Am. For now, however, let's take a moment to focus on the very classy touch to their flight attendants uniform: leather driving-style gloves.

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